Chris Hoy Supports

6x Olympic Champion11x World Champion

Pure Gym has today announced that Sir Chris Hoy has invested in the business and is set to partner with the group as a special adviser.

In his new role, Sir Chris will act as an ambassador for the brand and will be advising Pure Gym on the ways in which they can continue to enhance the overall customer experience, and how they can support members as they strive to be more active and to achieve their individual goals. He will also be acting as a consultant to the business on potential new Pure Gym products and services.

Sir Chris Hoy’s HOY One Hundred Sportive, which takes place in the Yorkshire Pennines on Sunday 30th August 2015, will again support the Scottish Association for Mental Health, Scotland’s leading mental health charity.

The epic 100 mile ride starts in Skipton and takes riders over some of the toughest hills and most spectacular scenery in the Pennines – with 11,000ft of climbing. There will also be a shorter half-route option for those who want to see the breath-taking views without travelling 100 miles.

The event is being organised by Evans Cycles and entry is £35 for both the full or half route, with £7 of every entry fee donated to SAMH to help them continue the vital work they do.

Team LNT once again made history last weekend (25/26 April 2015) with their Ginetta-Nissan LMP3 car, as 2,424km of almost relentless running earned Lawrence Tomlinson, Sir Chris Hoy, Charlie Robertson, Mike Simpson and Gaëtan Paletou an impressive class podium in the Britcar 24 Hours at Silverstone.

Britain’s most successful Olympian, Sir Chris Hoy, today announced a new partnership with British Cycling’s Go-Ride programme and Evans Cycles, that will help to deliver over two million opportunities for young people to get into cycling by 2020.

British Cycling’s Go-Ride programme – an initiative where young people experience coaching and competitive racing for the first time – will be supplied with 1,500 bikes from Evans Cycles to run thousands of Go-Ride sessions across the country.

Last year, over 30,000 young people got involved with the Go-Ride programme, which also aims to find the next generation of world champion cyclists – as the first step on the Great Britain Cycling Team Performance Pathway.

“Inspiring young people across the country to start cycling and realise how great it can be is something I really believe in. That’s why Evans Cycles and I jumped at the chance to provide HOY bikes for British Cycling’s Go-Ride programme over the next four years, and hopefully we can help find the world champions of tomorrow.”

Over 60% of the elite riders who will go for gold at Rio 2016 began their career in the Go-Ride programme. The ambition for the new partnership is to enable more children to experience the joy of cycling, unlock their cycling talent, and – who knows – even inspire them to go for gold at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and beyond.

Go-Ride, which was started over a decade ago, is now British Cycling’s flagship programme for young people, supported by Sport England, Sky, the Bicycle Association and Lazer helmets.

British Cycling’s Director of Coaching, Education and Development, John Mills, said:

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Evans Cycles as the provider of the bikes we use to deliver Go-Ride. The fact that the bikes bear the name of one of the most phenomenal athletes Britain has ever seen is sure to inspire thousands of young people to get into the sport. We are confident that we can provide over two million opportunities for young people nationwide to get into cycling by 2020 and this partnership will help us to be more ambitious than ever in uncovering the next generation of talent.”

There are over 300 Go-Ride clubs across the country in communities and schools, where young people are able to sample the various cycling disciplines and enjoy one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. The programme is supported by Go-Ride Racing, which is a calendar of entry-level, local racing events for young riders.

James Backhouse, Evans Cycles Marketing Director said:

“Riding your bike is one of the greatest things in the world, and by partnering with British Cycling we can help youngsters across the country discover that for themselves. We’re enormously proud to be part of the Go-Ride programme and are flattered that British Cycling gave us the opportunity.”

For more information about how to get into cycling visit www.britishcycling.org.uk/getinvolved

For more information on HOY children’s bikes visit www.evanscycles.com/pages/hoy-bikes

Sir Chris Hoy offers his top tips to parents to get children on their bikes:

1. Take your time choosing the bike
Heavy bikes can put children off cycling and will have them struggling up any little ramps or hills on the way. Lots of kid’s bikes on the high street weigh an absolute ton, but Evans Cycles pride themselves on selling quality children’s bikes (like the HOY ones, naturally) which can endure the same kind of thrashing as an adult’s bike.

2. Learn to stop before you start
It’s sensible to teach your kids the basics of braking before they start going fast. This will keep them safe during their first parent-free runs and give them confidence and the feeling of control.

3. Lose the pedals
For the very youngest budding cyclists, a great alternative to stabilisers is ‘runner’ bikes. Try one to help your toddler get to grips with the basics of balance and being in the cycling position for the first time.

4. Safety first
Not all kids want kids’ helmets – sometimes they want to be ‘big kids’ – but once children are old enough to understand, try talking to them about the reasons for wearing a helmet as well as leading by example yourself. And it goes without saying that choosing a great-looking lid that fits well makes all the difference.

5. Get going
Head for somewhere away from busy roads and lots of people where your little ones can have the space to develop their bike handling skills. Wheelies, track-stands and jumps are all things you can work up to…

Hot Key Books has today announced that they will publish a series of children’s books written by cycling champion and Britain’s most successful Olympian Sir Chris Hoy and author Joanna Nadin.

The series, FLYING FERGUS, will be illustrated fiction aimed at 5-8 year-olds. The first two books will be published in March 2016, with further titles in July, October and January 2017. The October fiction will be accompanied by a non-fiction book to encourage children to have fun cycling, keep safe, and record their cycling adventures.

Rights for six books were acquired by Emma Matthewson, Editor-at-Large at Hot Key, who previously edited the Harry Potter series at Bloomsbury. The deal was negotiated with Zoe King at The Blair Partnership for UK and Commonwealth rights. The books will be promoted with a major national marketing and PR campaign, including a website hub for the books and a tour of events across the UK.

The series will focus on Fergus; an ordinary boy with an extraordinary imagination. All Fergus wants for his ninth birthday is “The Sullivan Swift”, a top of the range bike that will ensure his success in the local time trials, but ever since his dad disappeared, years before, his mum and granddad have struggled financially to raise him and can’t afford such an expensive present. Instead he inherits his dad’s old rusty bike, but when he heads out to test it at the park with his best friend Daisy, he discovers there might be more to the bike than meets the eye…

Sir Chris Hoy is the most decorated Olympic cyclist of all time, with a total of seven Olympic medals: six gold and one silver, as well as 11 World and two Commonwealth titles. At the 2008 Olympics, Hoy became Scotland’s most successful Olympian and the first British athlete to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games since 1908.

Since retiring from professional cycling, Sir Chris was eager to devote his time, knowledge and experience in working with the next generation of cyclists. He has brought his experience to bear with the launch of his very own bike range: HOY Bikes, in partnership with Evans Cycles, where the line-up offers something for everyone from young riders up to the race-ready weekend warriors. Now with his series of books, Sir Chris hopes to continue to impassion the next generation of cyclists with stories that are all about that first taste of freedom that comes with your first bike, and the adventures that await you- the age at which you receive your first bike is often the age at which you start reading independently and stirring your imagination with reading, just as cycling can stir up a child’s imagination for adventure.

Sir Chris Hoy said: “Working with Jo has been fantastic and my hope is that Flying Fergus excites and inspires children, opening their eyes to the freedom and adventures two wheels can offer with just a little hard work.”

Emma Matthewson, Editor-at-Large said: “Sir Chris has already provided a lasting legacy of inspiration to young people with his tremendous list of achievements. What drew me to FLYING FERGUS was a genuine warmth and heart to the books and Sir Chris’s clear dedication to the next generation. We can’t wait to see young cyclists across the country enjoy reading about their new hero!”

Sir Chris will be writing the stories alongside Joanna Nadin, an award-winning author for children and teenagers, best known for her RACHEL RILEY series of books. She has been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize with PENNY DREADFUL IS A MAGNET FOR DISASTER and has been nominated for the “Queen of Teen” award three times.